Opinion Articles

Celebrating the day each joined a community

On Australia Day today, I am thinking about my decision to emigrate from England and make my home here in Newcastle . My wife, Barbara, and I have lived here for almost four years and have been Australian citizens for just over a year.

The decision to become an Australian Citizen took discernment; it was not something I did lightly. There were a number of factors which came into play. One is that I am a proud POM - especially when it comes to cricket.

On the other side, I found the political exclusion of being a Permanent Resident very difficult. Not being able to participate in the democratic process made me feel excluded and marginalised.

However, what clinched the decision to take citizenship was the Government's documentation. Firstly it is ‘ a common bond for all Australians…and lies at the heart of a unified, cohesive and inclusive Australia ' . I feel the way that Australia Day is celebrated fosters this ideal.

In Britain, national pride, particularly through the Union Flag, has been hijacked by far right racist groups and is often accompanied by disdainful rhetoric which is intended to exclude rather than include; causing division rather than cohesion.

I can recognise that for some, particularly the indigenous communities, Australia Day may have some negative connotations. However, in the main, it is an opportunity to celebrate what is at the heart of our society - a unified, cohesive and inclusive Australia .

Second, citizenship is described as ‘a unique symbol of formal identification with Australia , acknowledging responsibilities and conferring substantive privileges which allow people to participate fully in the community'. This statement sold the deal, for it recognises that in becoming a citizen I am entering into a relationship. This relationship is with the nation collectively, but also with all the individuals within it. Within this relationship there are privileges, but also responsibilities. It is out of this relationship that I get to fully participate in the community which adds to the common bond.

My decision process helped me better understand St Paul 's writing on citizenship expressed in the letter to the Ephesians (chapter 2). Paul reminds us that through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit we have access to the Father and are no longer strangers and foreigners but citizens of God's Kingdom. We are in relationship with God and each other. We have privileges and responsibilities, which, when lived, give us the opportunity to fully participate in God's Kingdom.

So as we celebrate Australia Day and the common bond of being Australian we can remember that by embracing relationships, and living them to the full, we see what lies at the heart of a unified, cohesive and inclusive society and we live Jesus' command to love one another.

Martin Johnson is a deacon in the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle. This article is submitted by the Churches Media Association www.cmahunter.com.au

*This article was published in The Newcastle Herald, 26th January 2009